厦门大学创意与创新学院课程成果 | 版式设计 Typographic Studies

版式设计

一年级 第二学期

视觉传达设计专业

2025级

Typographic Studies

Semester 2 – Year 1

Visual Communication Design

2025 Cohort

教学团队

Teaching Team

Julian Stone, Karim Decaneva, Gurpreet Dhanjal, Ana Luisa Menezes, 陈伟CHEN Wei

课程介绍

版式设计研究模块通过引导学生设计与开发一套原创展示字体（display typeface），为学生系统介绍了字体设计的基本原理与实践方法。本课程成功地将理论理解与实践应用相结合，鼓励学生通过研究、实验、迭代拓展及成果展示来探索字体设计。课程整体分为三个清晰的阶段——理解与资料收集（Understanding & Gathering）、定义与拓展（Defining & Developing）以及推广与展示（Promoting & Presenting），形成了循序渐进的教学框架，使学生能够逐步提升技术能力与设计思维。

学生在字体结构（letterform anatomy）、网格系统（grid systems）、实验性字体设计（experimental typography）以及字体构建（type construction）等实践练习中表现出较高的积极性。课程采用循序渐进的教学方式，并结合讲授、示范、工作坊、课堂评议（critiques）及一对一辅导（tutorials），帮助学生建立了扎实的字体设计基础以及数字字体开发能力。尤其是每周课堂中的实践练习，有效地帮助学生掌握了创建功能完善的展示字体所需的关键技术流程。

课堂活动的整体质量是本课程的一大亮点。学生对结合传统手工方法与数字化设计流程的实践练习反响积极，并逐渐建立起使用行业标准软件和字体设计工作流程的信心。循序渐进的课程安排帮助学生理解了字体发展历史、形式原则与当代设计应用之间的联系，使得大多数学生最终完成了技术质量较高的字体设计成果。

虽然学生能够较好地完成教师引导下的各项练习，但课程中反复出现的一个问题是，他们难以将这些单项技能整合为一个连贯、独立的设计过程。许多学生虽然能独立完成各项技术任务，但很少能将研究、实验、反思与迭代拓展有机结合，形成完整的设计方法。这一问题在设计日志（design journal）及作品集展示中尤为明显，许多学生的记录往往停留在描述活动层面，而未能批判性分析某一阶段的发展如何影响后续的设计决策。

课程评估标准高度重视探索（exploration）、综合整合（synthesis）、迭代制作（iterative making）以及设计语境理解（contextual understanding）。虽然学生普遍能较好地探索字体设计原理，并完成技术成熟的作品，但在更高层次的综合能力方面仍存在明显不足。学生的研究通常停留于描述层面，而非分析层面，对于如何将一手与二手研究有效转化为原创设计方案缺乏充分体现。同样，在实验过程中，虽然学生能够产生丰富的视觉结果，但往往难以对这些结果进行批判性评价，并据此推动下一阶段的设计发展。

左右滑动查看更多

设计日志（部分）

左右滑动查看更多

蔡雨涵 CAI Yuhan

另一个有待进一步提升的方面是学生对迭代设计（iterative design）的理解。优秀的字体设计项目依赖于持续不断的测试、修正与评估，但许多学生倾向于过快进入最终制作阶段，而未能充分探索更多可能的发展方向。这在一定程度上限制了最终作品的原创性与精细度。未来课程应进一步强调：实验不仅仅意味着制作多个不同版本，而应是围绕明确设计目标对设计方案进行持续验证和优化的系统化过程。

独立学习能力同样是未来需要持续加强的重要方面。课程手册提供了丰富的自主学习资源，包括线上学习材料、自主练习任务以及反思日志写作指导。然而，在整个项目过程中，持续开展自主研究、保持完整草图记录并能够持续进行批判性反思的学生，通常在各项学习成果中表现更为突出；反之，那些课外投入不足的学生，则较难展现足够深入的研究、反思能力及设计语境理解。

左右滑动查看更多

左右滑动查看更多

设计日志（部分）

段甜帅 DUAN Tianshuai

设计日志（Design Journal）依然是本课程评估体系中最具价值的组成部分之一。能够真正将设计日志作为思考、实验与反思工具使用的学生，在概念发展及作品集整体表达方面表现得更加成熟。然而，不少学生的日志仍然具有明显的事后记录（retrospective）特征，仅作为完成工作的总结，而非贯穿整个设计过程、支持设计决策的重要工具。因此，未来课程应更加重视在教学过程中持续培养学生的反思写作、批注及批判性评价能力，而非主要是在最终提交阶段强调这些内容。

同伴评议（Peer Critique）与形成性反馈（Formative Feedback）也是课程实施中的一项成功实践。学生在课堂讨论中能够积极交流设计方案，并逐渐建立起表达设计思路及回应反馈意见的信心。这些活动有效促进了协作学习，并帮助学生提升了设计沟通能力。然而，同伴反馈的质量差异较大，说明未来仍需进一步加强关于批判性讨论及评价方法的指导，以进一步提升这一教学环节的效果。

从课程整体设计来看，学习成果（Learning Outcomes）、教学活动与评估方式之间保持了良好的对应关系。每周工作坊直接支持学生技术能力的发展，而辅导课程和课堂评议则进一步强化了迭代设计与反思学习。课程从基础字体设计原理逐步过渡到完整字体开发，整体难度符合四年制本科一年级（Level 4）学生的发展水平，并为后续专业学习奠定了坚实基础。

左右滑动查看更多

设计日志（部分）

王妙妍 WANG Miaoyan

展望未来，本课程可从以下几方面进一步优化。应更加注重培养学生将研究、实验与反思整合为完整设计方法的能力。增加针对批判性分析、设计决策以及迭代评估的专项教学活动，有助于帮助学生实现从技术能力向独立设计思维的跨越。同时，引入更多关注过程而非最终成果的阶段性评审（milestone reviews），鼓励学生在最终定稿前更加深入地开展研究与实验。

此外，还应持续加强培养学生的自主学习能力。这可以通过进一步明确自主学习期望、增加指导性的研究任务、安排课堂之间的独立设计挑战，以及更加系统地将反思日志作为日常工作文档，而非作为评估材料来实现。帮助学生逐步建立自主探索能力，将更有利于他们适应后续课程中更加重视独立研究与自主实践的学习要求。

总体而言，版式设计模块成功实现了其核心教学目标，使学生系统掌握了字体设计、字体开发以及视觉传达的基本原理。学生在技术流程方面取得了扎实进步，并对实践性教学形式表现出积极回应。尽管课堂活动质量和字体设计成果整体表现良好，但本课程也突显出持续加强学生综合运用所学知识的能力、更严谨地投入设计过程以及培养更大设计自主性的必要性。解决这些方面的问题将有助于学生在后续学习阶段中超越技术熟练度，迈向更具反思性、批判性思维和概念深度的设计实践。

左右滑动查看更多

设计日志（部分）

左右滑动查看更多

吕易洽 LV Yiqia

左右滑动查看更多

设计日志（部分）

左右滑动查看更多

缪易航 MIAO Yihang

左右滑动查看更多

施雨萌 SHI Yumeng

INTRO

The Typographic Studies module provided students with a comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of typography through the design and development of an original display typeface. The unit successfully combined theoretical understanding with practical application, encouraging students to investigate typography through research, experimentation, iterative development and presentation. The structure of the module, divided into three clear phases—Understanding & Gathering, Defining & Developing, and Promoting & Presenting—provided a coherent framework that enabled students to progressively develop both technical competence and conceptual understanding.

With many students demonstrating enthusiasm for practical exercises exploring letterform anatomy, grid systems, experimental typography and type construction. The scaffolded learning approach, supported by lectures, demonstrations, workshops, critiques and tutorials, enabled students to acquire a solid foundation in typographic principles and digital font development. In particular, the practical exercises undertaken during weekly sessions successfully introduced key technical processes required for creating a functioning display typeface.

The quality of classroom activities was a particular strength of the module. Students responded positively to hands-on exercises that encouraged experimentation with analogue and digital methods, and many demonstrated increasing confidence in using industry-standard software and typography workflows. The structured sequence of activities helped students understand the relationship between typographic history, formal principles and contemporary application, resulting in generally strong technical outcomes by the end of the project.

左右滑动查看更多

罗海鑫 LUO Haixin

However, whilst students performed well when working within guided activities, a recurring issue emerged in their ability to synthesise these individual skills into a coherent and independent design process. Although many students could successfully complete isolated technical tasks, fewer were able to integrate research, experimentation, reflection and iterative development into a unified body of work. This was particularly evident within design journals and portfolio presentations, where documentation often described activities rather than critically analysing how one stage of development informed subsequent design decisions.

The assessment criteria place considerable emphasis on exploration, synthesis, iterative making and contextual understanding. While students generally demonstrated competence in exploring typographic principles and producing technically resolved outcomes, there was noticeably less evidence of higher-level synthesis. Research frequently remained descriptive rather than analytical, with limited evidence that primary and secondary research had been effectively translated into original design solutions. Similarly, experimentation often generated a broad range of visual outcomes, but students struggled to evaluate these outcomes critically and use them to inform subsequent stages of the design process.

A further area for development concerns students' understanding of iterative design practice. Successful typography projects rely upon continuous testing, refinement and evaluation, yet many students tended to move too quickly towards final production without sufficiently exploring alternative directions. This limited both the originality and sophistication of final submissions. Future iterations of the module should continue to reinforce that experimentation is not simply the production of multiple variations but a structured process of testing ideas against clearly defined design objectives.

左右滑动查看更多

张菁璇 ZHANG Jingxuan

Independent learning also emerged as an area requiring continued attention. The module handbook provides significant opportunities for self-directed study through online resources, guided independent practice and reflective journal development. However, many students remained overly dependent on tutor guidance throughout the project and were less confident when expected to make independent design decisions. While tutorials successfully supported individual progression, students often waited for confirmation before progressing rather than demonstrating greater ownership of their own creative process.

This reliance on directed learning became increasingly apparent during the latter stages of the project, particularly during typeface refinement, specimen development and portfolio preparation. Students who engaged consistently with independent research, maintained comprehensive sketchbooks and reflected critically upon their practice generally produced stronger outcomes across all learning outcomes. Conversely, students whose engagement outside timetabled sessions was limited often struggled to demonstrate sufficient depth of investigation, critical reflection or contextual awareness.

The design journal continues to represent one of the most valuable components of the assessment strategy. Those students who embraced the journal as an ongoing record of thinking, testing and reflection demonstrated significantly stronger conceptual development and more coherent portfolio presentations. Nevertheless, many journals remained retrospective rather than developmental, functioning as a record of completed work rather than a tool for supporting decision-making throughout the project. Greater emphasis should therefore be placed on reflective writing, annotation and critical evaluation during the module rather than primarily at submission.

左右滑动查看更多

左右滑动查看更多

设计日志（部分）

郭佳慧GUO Jiahui

Peer critiques and formative feedback sessions were another successful aspect of the module. Students engaged constructively during reviews, demonstrating an increasing willingness to discuss their work and respond to feedback. These sessions supported collaborative learning and helped students develop confidence in articulating design decisions. However, the quality of peer feedback varied considerably, suggesting that additional guidance on critical discussion and evaluation may further strengthen this aspect of learning.

From a curriculum perspective, the alignment between learning outcomes, teaching activities and assessment remained strong. Weekly workshops directly supported the development of technical skills, while tutorials and critiques reinforced iterative practice and reflective learning. The progression from fundamental typographic principles towards complete typeface development provided an appropriate level of challenge for Level 4 students and established a solid foundation for future study within the programme.

Looking ahead, several enhancements could further strengthen the module. Greater emphasis should be placed on developing students' ability to synthesise research, experimentation and reflection into coherent design methodologies. Additional structured activities focused on critical analysis, design decision-making and iterative evaluation may help students bridge the gap between technical competence and independent creative practice. Introducing more milestone reviews centred specifically on process rather than outcomes could encourage students to engage more deeply with research and experimentation before committing to final solutions.

Similarly, strategies that foster greater independent learning should continue to be embedded throughout the module. This may include clearer expectations regarding self-directed study, additional guided research tasks, independent design challenges between workshops and more structured use of reflective journals as working documents rather than assessment artefacts. Encouraging students to become increasingly self-reliant will better prepare them for subsequent modules where independent enquiry becomes central to successful performance.

Overall, the Typographic Studies module successfully met its core aims by introducing students to the principles of typography, font development and visual communication. Students developed a sound understanding of technical processes and responded positively to the practical nature of the teaching. While the quality of class activities and font development outcomes was generally strong, the module also highlighted an ongoing need to strengthen students' ability to synthesise learning, engage more rigorously with the design process and develop greater independence as designers. Addressing these areas will help students move beyond technical competence towards more reflective, critically informed and conceptually robust design practice in future stages of the programme.

以上作品仅供教学与交流使用。

部分课程作品中的图像素材来源于网络或使用 AI 生成。

The above works are for educational purposes only. Some image materials used in the student works are sourced from the internet or generated using AI.